FIO Preview: New Orleans Hornets

2008-2009 New Orleans Hornets season preview and fantasy impact, courtesy of Fantasy Insider Online. Read the team preview here in the Yard, and then visit the FIO link for the rest. - Dan Rossi Last Season Recap: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly In the Hornets first season back in the Big Easy since Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans fans had a lot to cheer about last year. With a 56-26 record, the team won the Southwest Division over three teams (San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas) that won over 50 games. The young Hornets also brought the defending champion Spurs to Game 7 in the Western Conference Semifinals in the playoffs before falling 91-82 at home. The playoffs turned into the Chris Paul show as he tore through stud point guards Tony Parker and Jason Kidd to average 24.1 points and 11.3 assists in the postseason. His over 2 steals and 5 rebounds per game in April and May also proved that he is one of the best all-around talents the league has to offer. CP3's play also made for breakout years from David West, who made his first All-Star team, and resurgence from Peja Stojakovic, who had his best season in a Hornets uniform. 2008 Draft Impact (None) The team with the average age of 28.1 on its roster did not have a pick in this year's draft, as they sold the No. 27 pick to Portland for $3 million. More youth was not necessary and there was no glaring weakness on this roster that needed addressing via the draft. Not having a pick didn's hurt the team's chances this year or in the future. Off-Season Impact Moves The Hornets grabbed an important member of the Boston Celtics championship team this offseason when they signed James Posey. Posey is a defensive stopper who will be a good addition for the Hornets in the West when they take on the likes of Kobe Bryant, Josh Howard, and Tracy McGrady later on in the season. Posey also has the shooting touch that can help stretch defenses on the other end of the floor. He hit 106 threes last season, including another 35 in 26 playoff games. His playoff experience from last year's run will also come in handy on this young team. Preview for the 2008-2009 Season Team MVP: Chris Paul, PG - Not only is Paul the team's MVP, he will likely be the early favorite to be the league's MVP, as well. This team will be in the 60-win range because of Paul next season, who is only 23-years-old. No player is more important to this roster than Paul, as every member of the Hornets is better with him on the court. Breakout Player: Tyson Chandler, C - No one expected Chandler to amount to much after the disappointing start to his career while he was with the Chicago Bulls. But last season he averaged double-figures in scoring for the first time in his career and a career-high 35.3 minutes per game. He also hit an amazing 62% of his shots and handled the dirty work in the low post. Nearly every game featured a thunderous alley-oop dunk by Chandler from Paul last season, and expect more of the same next year as the 25-year-old improves. Bust Player: Mike James, PG - Expected to come in and be a solid backup to Paul, Mike James did nothing for the Hornets last year after coming in from Houston mid-season. In 21 games in a Hornets uniform, James only played in eight minutes a night and scored around 3 points. James is a former 20 ppg scorer ('05-'06 for Toronto), so he should be a solid backup, but at $6 million a year (Paul makes $4.5 million), he is definitely a bust. Playoff Contender or Pretender? Few teams in the league can match up with the Hornets. Chris Paul has the offensive skills and defensive awareness to cancel out any other point guard in the league right now. The only team that can compare to the Hornets paint combination of West and Chandler is the Lakers, and that is assuming Andrew Bynum is back to 100%. Factor in the playoff experience gained from last year and the shutdown defender brought in by the Posey signing, and you have a real threat emerging in the West.